A greenhouse gas is generally considered a gas in an atmosphere that absorbs or emits radiation within the thermal infrared range. Greenhouse gases (“GHG”) cause the so-called “Greenhouse Effect” which is the heating of the surface of a planet due to the presence of a GHG. The main GHGs are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrious oxide and ozone.
A carbon footprint is the total of GHG emissions caused by an entity, organization, event, activity or product. However, for simplicity it is often expressed in the amount of carbon dioxide, or its equivalent of other GHG emitted. Often the word carbon is used and/or interchanged with the term carbon dioxide. Such is the case herein.
The process of constructing a structure involves the use of material, labor and equipment, which each generate GHGs. Specifically, materials used in the construction are made and transported to construction sites using fossil fuels, this process itself produces carbon dioxide among other GHGs. Further, construction of structures requires machinery which burn fossil fuels and the transportation of laborers to the construction site, which also requires the use of fossil fuels.
In addition to the construction of a structure (e.g. buildings), depending on the location of the structure, the structure may be susceptible to damage due to environmental factors including, wind, earthquakes, flooding, etc. Additional material and labor is required to repair the structure after such an event occurs. The resulting demolition of the damaged portions of the structure or the structure in its entirety and the repair of the damage or complete reconstruction produces more carbon dioxide.
It would be beneficial for a system that is capable of estimating the amount of carbon produced during the construction and life span of a structure. Further, it would be beneficial for a system, which will account for damage, which may occur to a structure resulting due to environmental factors.